Not for Show
by c1araoswa1d
Summary: Tumblr Whouffle Prompt: Clara has a cousin that though very fun loving, becomes quite persistent on questioning this new "boyfriend" Clara has brought home for Christmas dinner (written BEFORE 'Time of the Doctor')


He's trying to make polite conversation and, seeing the widening of Clara's eyes, he's trying to gauge when what he's saying is appropriate and when it's a bit… alien. Of course, it's not his fault he's confused, the young girl with the ring in her nose and the drawings of dead people on her sneakers is telling him that she'd just dissected a frog in her biology class and used the entrails as tinsel around the classroom to entertain herself at the morose looks of classmates.

"Sorry, is that even allowed," the Doctor asked, bending slightly, as if he hadn't heard what he thought he'd heard, "I'm fairly certain it's unsanitary, not to mention, a bit unconventional."

She tilted her head up at him and replied, "And that's why it's funny – all of the prissy girls with their hands on their mouths; the boys getting to see them for what they are."

The Doctor shook his head, "I'm really not sure I follow." He then added pointedly, "Angel."

She sighed, "And I thought you were cool."

Straightening, he thrust a finger towards her and smiled, tugging absently on his bow tie, "I am cool, I'm the coolest."

She eyed him, face shifting aside and giving him a look he recognized because Clara was in the kitchen, peeking out, giving him the same look. Relatives, he reminded himself. Cousins. "Where did Clara meet you, anyways – don't seem like her normal bloke."

"Her normal bloke?" He asked, voice cracking as he turned his attention back to the brunette who was alternating her weight between her feet anxiously. "Clara has a normal bloke?"

"She doesn't have another boyfriend," Angel teased, "Don't think she's ever even had a boyfriend. I mean, at least that's what mum implied. Seemed a bit shocked that we were coming here and she'd have a date for this…" she gestured around, "_Christmas_ thing."

He managed a grin, then shook it off his face and turned away.

"So how did you meet?"

Looking down at her, watching the dark eyes that waited, he shrugged and considered his answer before telling her quickly, "I helped her with her Wi-Fi."

"Wi-Fi?"

"She couldn't find a connection, called my number on accident and I came to help her."

Angel furrowed her brow at him and he was tempted to laugh. He knew that look well. "A stranger calls you up and tells you she can't connect to the internet and you just drive over to help her?" He nodded slowly. "Are you an IT guy or something?"

He laughed, then shrugged, "I suppose, in a sense, I am the fixer of impossible things. Tech support for the universe – I rather like that; should use it. I _will_ use that," he pointed.

"You're weird," Angel admitted.

"You've got a man eating another man's leg on the side of your shoe, I hardly think helping a woman out is _weird_ by comparison."

"You calling me weird?" She challenged.

He stepped into her, "I think you're an adolescent in need of attention."

"I think you're an adult overstepping your boundaries."

Recoiling, he wrapped his hands and grimaced, "That's possible, I apologize."

Angel laughed, "I think I know why she likes you."

He glanced over the girl's head at the woman who peeked out again, hands covered in mittens as she checked on the turkey again with a frown. Clara smiled at him, nodding and he nodded back, looking quickly to Angel to ask, "She likes me?"

"Oh, yeah," Angel laughed, then sighed. "You know, maybe you should help your woman out – I have a bad feeling about her cooking."

Giving her a tight lipped smile, he nodded, "Maybe I will."

"And when you're in there, look up, I added some décor," Angel called after him as he began to make his way to the kitchen, confusion marring his face. He certainly hoped there weren't a pair of frog testicles hanging from the roof – Clara would most certainly be opposed to that.

He pushed past her uncle, who gave him a look of disapproval, and then bumped into her, smiling when she released a sigh of relief instead of a grunt of frustration, and she nodded to the girl now studying the ornaments on the tree to ask, "Making friends."

"Your cousin is an odd duck."

"Full of odd ducks, this family," Clara assured, voice quiet.

"Told me to come in here and look up."

Clara nodded slowly, then paused and looked again to the brunette girl fingering the blue lights with a small smirk as she glanced sideways at the Doctor and then they both raised their eyes. He tugged at the small clump of plastic leaves, red berries glued on awkwardly and he showed it to her, asking, "Mistletoe?"

"Hide it!" Clara gasped, but Angel had already pointed and laughed aloud.

And her grandmother hooted and told them, "It's tradition; you can't break tradition."

The Doctor eyed Angel, who was grinning devilishly at him, and he narrowed his eyes at her before turning to Clara and telling her coyly, "I'm sorry," and he took hold of her waist and planted his lips on hers, shifting his head sideways to dip his tongue past her lips and he smiled when she made a small noise of surprise before settling into the kiss, breaking away when her father coughed and gave an awkward half laugh and a loud,

"Ok, kids, that's enough."

He pressed a secondary quick tap of his lips to hers and then stepped away, looking down at the red that stained her cheeks as she taunted up at him, "Apologizing for the show?"

Bending slightly, he leaned his elbows on the counter and met Angel's eyes just before the girl turned away shyly. Looking to Clara, the Doctor admitted, "I'm sorry because it wasn't for show."

She stopped stirring the pot of mashed potatoes in front of her and smirked at him, and then replied with a nod and a bump of her hip against his, "In that case, I'm not."


End file.
